The present invention relates to a method for assisting a physician or other person to investigate a human breast for a malignancy, and apparatus especially adapted to facilitate the investigation of an object for a preselected condition, such as to investigate a human breast for a malignancy.
Mammography is widely used to facilitate the investigation of human breasts for breast cancer. A pair of generally orthogonally related X-rays (called mammograms) are taken of the human breast being checked. These X-rays are then examined by a radiologist or other physician to determine if the mammogram images illustrate any suspicious areas in the breast which should be investigated. In general, the diagnosing party uses a magnifying glass or the like to examine each of the mammograms for suspicious masses (concentrated densities) or calcifications.
Video equipment has been designed in the past to aid in examining mammograms. Such equipment has been relatively limited, though, in capability. For example, most equipment only provides a video image of a mammogram that is an enhanced or magnified view of the same. This enhanced or magnified view can be more easily examined by a radiologist or other physician. However, none to date have been designed which, in essence, identify areas of a mammogram which clearly are of interest. Arrangements have been described in the past designed to aid detection of a specific kind of abnormality in a portion of the human body, including the breast, which is suspicious. For example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,907,156; 4,323,973; and 4,663,773. However, insofar as applicant is aware, none have developed a method and apparatus specifically designed to locate all major suspicious areas that may be illustrated in a mammogram, nor has anyone developed a method and apparatus taking into consideration the intuitive nature of an expert diagnosis.